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Amazon, gig companies see spike in workers covered by SNAP and Medicaid, study shows
Lauren Kaori Gurley and Rachel Lerman, The Washington Post, July 22
From 2020 to 2025, the number of employees of Amazon and gig economy platforms who rely on food stamps and Medicaid grew dramatically, according to a new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. In both years, Walmart ranked as the top employer of Medicaid recipients. The report covers 11 states that account for about a fifth of the U.S. population. In those states, about 13.8 million working Americans were enrolled in Medicaid in 2024, up from 12 million in 2020. The gig economy platforms included Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Grubhub and Instacart.
Latinas in Hartford want better health care experiences. This is what they say they need.
Daniela Doncel, Connecticut Public Radio, July 27
Julissa Díaz is part of a team in the Hartford area called PA’LANTE that is working to develop priorities for patient-centered research aimed at improving Latina health. The team started by listening to Latinas in the community. Many described poor treatment and a lack of proper information. Being heard was the number one priority among the women they spoke with, Díaz said. The women surveyed named four other priorities: They wanted health care providers who understand their language and culture, clear information about available services, flexible appointment hours that prioritize more time spent with patients, and dignified care free from discrimination.
CT hospitals are redesigning ERs for behavioral health crises
Katy Golvala, The Connecticut Mirror, July 28
Three Connecticut hospitals are redesigning portions of their emergency rooms for patients experiencing mental health crises. Griffin Hospital’s Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment and Healing, or EmPATH, Unit, is designed to be a calming, welcoming environment and is staffed with behavioral health specialists. Stamford Hospital and Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital recently opened specialized behavioral health units of their emergency departments for children and adolescents. Experts say there is an acute behavioral health crisis facing children and a shortage of services, meaning young people are more likely to end up in the hospital with an emergency.
After PCOS became PMOS, there’s hope for new awareness among Black and Latina women
Anissa Durham, STAT, July 28
More than 5 million women and girls of reproductive age in the U.S. live with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, or PMOS. The condition was recently renamed from polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, and experts hope the new name will increase recognition and lead to faster diagnosis. Women of color experience double the prevalence of PMOS compared to white women, and often go undiagnosed. Black women are more likely to experience more severe symptoms such as hirsutism and hypertension, while Hispanic and Latina women experience more severe metabolic complications. Both groups of women experience delayed diagnosis and barriers to accessing health care.
Loss of Haitian workers will impact CT health care, officials say
Laura Tillman, The Connecticut Mirror, July 28
The legal status that allowed many Haitian immigrants to work in the U.S. expired this week, meaning they can no longer work legally and can be deported. Beyond the consequences for individuals and families, state officials warned that this change could hurt the state’s workforce. Temporary Protective Status, or TPS, provides protection for people fleeing armed conflict and environmental disaster. When TPS expired for Haitian immigrants, at least 100 nursing home workers in Connecticut were affected, including as many as 13 at some facilities. “Even if it’s one or two employees, that’s too many,” in the midst of a staffing shortage, said Matthew Barrett, president and CEO of the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities.